Improvement in trace-locks



'(pLfHART.

Tace Locks.

N H6 052 l j Patentedjune20,1871.

UNrrED STATES- GEORGE L. HART, OF NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT.

IMPROVEMENT IN TRACE-LOCKS.

Specication forming part of Letters Patent No. 116,052, dated June 20, 1871.

To all whom lt may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE L. HART, of New Britain, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented au Improved Trace-Lock, of which the following is a specification:

Nature and Objects of thc Invention.

My improvement is a device for permanent attachment to two ends of whiflietrees used on vehicles dra-wn by horses, &c. vIts purpose is to quickly and securely lock the end of the trate or tug to the end of the whiffletree, while it is susceptibleof being as readily unlocked for the purpose of unhitchin g the trace.

Description ofthe Accompanying Drawing.

Figure l is a front View of one end of a whifetree with my invention attached, the dotted lines represent-ing the position of the parts when the lock is set free from the whifiletree. Fig. 2 is a top or plan view of one end of a whiflietree with my invention attached. Fig. 3 is an end view of the parts shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a detached side view of the cylindrical piece which forms the extreme end of the whiflletree.

General Description.

The letter a indicates the whiffletree,'usually made of wood, into the end of which is inserted the cylindrical iron piece b, which, near its extreme point, has agroove, c c, upon either side, exactly opposite each other. Upon the piece b the trace is hooked. To the top of the whifiletree is affixed the spring d, to the loose end of which is hinged the metal swinging piece c in such manner that, when not other wise confined, it will swing freely on the end of the spring cl, the end of which .is curled loosely around the small shaft which forms the top part of the swinging piece e. Just below this small shaftthere is hung, within the swinging piece c, the locking-pawl f, which pawl,

except as controlled by the spring l, is free tov swing from the position indicated by the black continuous lines in Fig. 1 to the position indicated by the dotted lines in the same figure. This spring l is simply a part of the spring cl struck down so as to bear upon the top of the pawlf; and its effect, as readily understood, is such that it holds the pawlf in either of the positions represented when the paw] is so placed. Just below where the pawl f is hung the slot which contains it belliesout into a circular opening large enough to allow the piece b to slip through it, the spring cl being pressed down sufficiently for that purpose, and the pawl f being thrown out, as represented by the dotted lines. Below this circular part the opening becomes the vertical slot s, just 'wide enough to slip in the grooves o c, as the spring cl draws up the swinging piece c the sides of the slot will just slip up into the grooves c c, and thus lock the swinging piece c on the cylindrical piece b that it cannot be forced directly off the end thereof. Now, if the pawl f is thrown down into the position shown in black lines, then the swinging piece c cannot be. pushed down so as to bring the piece b into the circular opening, which must be done in order to pull the swinging piececoff the piece b.

Claims.

I cla-im as my invention- 1. The combination of the whiflletree a, the piece b having grooves c c, the spring d, the swinging piece c, and the pawl j', the whole constructed, arranged, and operated substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination ofthe whifletree a, piece b, spring ol, spring fl, swinging piece c, and pawl j', the whole constructed, arranged, and operated substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

Witnesses: GEORGE L. HART.

WEL E. SiMoNDs, GEORGE G. SILL. 

